1. Field of invention
This invention relates to a lever fitting-type connector in which a connector is fitted into a mating connector by pivotally moving a lever mounted on the connector, and more particularly to a lever fitting-type connector in which the lever is of the common use-type.
2. Related art
FIGS. 6 and 7 show a conventional lever fitting-type connector. This lever fitting-type connector comprises a male connector 1, a lever 2 pivotally mounted on the male connector 1, and a female connector 3 into which the male connector 1 is fitted.
The male connector 1 has a plurality of terminal receiving chambers 9 for respectively receiving terminals therein, and the terminal receiving chambers 9 communicate respectively with terminal insertion ports formed in a bottom wall of the male connector. When the male connector 1 is fitted into the female connector 3, mating terminals (not shown) in the female connector 3 are inserted respectively into the terminal insertion ports, and are electrically connected respectively to the terminals received respectively in the terminal receiving chambers 9.
Bosses 5 are formed respectively on opposite side walls of the male connector 1, and are disposed generally centrally of he length of the male connector 1, and the lever 2 is supported on the bosses 5 so that the lever 2 can be pivotally moved about the bosses 5.
The lever 2 includes a pair of right and left lever walls 6, and an operating portion 7 interconnecting one end portions of the two lever walls 6. The lever walls 6 have rotation holes 8, respectively, in which the bosses 5 are inserted, respectively, so that the lever 2 can be pivotally moved about the bosses 5 along opposite side walls 4 of the male connector 1.
A lever projection 10 is formed on each of the lever walls 6, and is disposed in opposite relation to the operating portion 7 with respect to the boss 5. These lever projections 10 are retainingly engaged with retaining portions (not shown) of the female connector 3, respectively, and serve as a supporting point for the pivotal movement of the lever 2.
Projected portions 11 are formed at that end of the lever 2 remote from the operating portion 7, and slots 12, in which the projected portions 11 are slidably received, respectively, are formed in that end of the male connector 1 corresponding to the projected portions 11. The projected portions 11 are thus received respectively in the slots 12, and therefore the lever 2 is mounted on the male connector 1 against disengagement therefrom.
The female connector 3 includes a hood portion 13 with an open top, into which the male connector 1 can be fitted. Guide grooves 15 are formed in an inner surface of the hood portion 13, and extend in a direction of fitting of the male connector 1. Flange-like guide ribs 14, formed at the opposite ends of the male connector 1, can be engaged respectively in the guide grooves 15.
Because of this engagement, the male connector 1 can be fitted into the hood portion 13 without being tilted.
In this lever fitting-type connector, the lever 2 is mounted on the male connector 1, and in this condition the male connector 1 is inserted into the hood portion 13 of the female connector 3 as shown in FIG. 7. Then, the operating portion 7 is pressed to pivotally move the lever 2. As a result, the lever 2 is pivotally moved, with the bosses 5 serving as an application point while the lever projections 10 serve as the supporting point, and therefore the lever 2 and the male connector 1 are fitted in unison into the hood portion 13. In this case, thanks to the effect of leverage, the male connector 1 can be easily fitted into the hood portion 13 with a low operating force.
In such a lever fitting-type connector, the size of the male connector 1 varies depending on the number of electrically-connecting poles and the size of the terminal receiving chambers. When the size of the male connector 1 is thus changed, the position of the bosses 5, supporting the lever 2, varies, and the distance L1 between the boss 5 (serving as the application point) and the lever projection 10 (serving as the supporting point) of the lever 2 varies. The length L2 of the lever 2 is generally equal to the length L3 of the male connector 1, and therefore when the length (size) of the male connector 1 is changed for the above reason, it is necessary to change the length of the lever 2 in accordance with the length of the male connector 1.
Therefore, in the lever fitting-type connector, exclusive-use levers 2, corresponding respectively to the male connectors of different sizes, are required. Therefore, it has heretofore been necessary to prepare many kinds of levers 2 of different lengths and sizes, and the lever for exclusive use with the particular connector must be selected among many kinds of prepared levers 2, which is a cumbersome operation.
On the other hand, it may be proposed to provide a standardized lever for common use with many kinds of male connectors. However, if any of male connectors of different kinds can be fitted by the use of the same lever, there is encountered a new problem that it is possible to erroneously fit a wrong connector different in the number of poles and the size from the proper connector to be fitted.